Australian Parliament passes counterterror laws
CANBERRA - The Australian Parliament has passed a raft of counterterrorism laws that extend secret service powers despite some lawmakers' concerns about its impact on press freedom.
The National Security Legislation Amendment Bill, which became law on Wednesday, gives greater search and surveillance powers to the nation's domestic spy agency, Australian Security Intelligence Organization.
The most contentious section of legislation carries a potential 10-year prison sentence for anyone who discloses information that relates to a "special intelligence operation."
